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So none of you believe this guy can assist me? I mean I did work with him and I know he does have "in's" for many companies (he is also very popular in sales people training seminars). I am little anxious now. As I said I would never pay someone I know nothing about but he is my former boss. He was a CFO of a multimillion dollar company and I was his executive assistant. I can't believe he would try to scam me. Well, I made a deal for three months. If he can't help me at the end of three months, I'll just move on.
If this person was someone you had never met before then I would hesitate, but if you know this person well then I think it's a pretty good idea as long as you really think you can spare the money for it. Career coaches are not exactly recruiters. The previous comments putting down career coaches sound as though they are confusing career coaches with recruiters.
Career coaches are normally more than just "I'll help you find a job" people. They are supposed to be "coaches" in a sense that they help you find your strengths and weaknesses; help you fix the weaknesses while improving your strengths; and even give you some tips, leads, and encouragement. They're not supposed to go out and find you a job necessarily (at least, I've never heard of a coach that did such a thing). They're supposed to help you become a better candidate by giving you tips and advice on finding jobs, interviews, honing your skills, etc. Some are general, but there are some who focus specifically on an industry and they know the ins and outs of that industry.
Your guy might be okay if he sticks with coaching you in his industry. He might have connections or know tricks you can use to get a job that he once had. However, if it goes past a few months then I would highly recommend dropping the experiment or finding someone new. The key thing to remember is that coaches do just that...coach. Which is why they can be a waste of money if they are not skilled in their particular field.
The decision is up to you. Coaches can be great motivators and if they know the industry then they can be a great resource for getting your foot in the door. However, they are not job recruiters, and that's why some people think they are scams. Though, there are some career coaches who are scam artists and just plain horrible (especially since there are no certifications for coaches except the IFC, but even that's a bit flimsy). If you know the guy and he has shown his usefulness in the past then it couldn't hurt to give it a shot if you think he can help you.
they help you find your strengths and weaknesses;
help you fix the weaknesses while improving your strengths;
give you some tips, leads, and encouragement.
help you become a better candidate by giving you tips and advice on finding jobs, interviews, honing your skills, etc.
...basically stuff you can find for free on the internet.
...basically stuff you can find for free on the internet.
Yes and no. Not everyone is good at recognizing their own strengths and weaknesses. Also, her friend might have inside information and connections. I'm not saying that having a career coach is necessary, or even recommended, but if her friend is connected in the industry then it could work out well for her. It would have been great if he had chosen to give her some help for free, but it's probably not a scam in this case. There are some coaches who do scam though.
Thanks kattwoman2, you know what that's exactly how he described what he can do for me. Yes most of this stuff I can find in internet and I have been looking but obviously it is not working. I have experience in business, finance, law, government and two degrees, BS and JD. I got two interviews in 3 years after sending out hundreds of resumes. I feel lost and drifting at this point. I have to get my career under control before it is too late and I need someone who knows these things to tell me what I am doing wrong and give me some direction. Plus, I know he has tons of contacts in the health industry which I am trying to switch to from law. I will try this for 3 months, what if it works? At least I would not say I should have tried. I don't want to spend the money, I am barely paying my bills with unemployment but my brother will help with it because he thinks it will help. We'll see...
I certainly will. I know there are lot of scams out there and I am anxious about it but he was probably the best boss I ever had and I worked for at least 15 bosses in my career. He thinks he can help so I will take the risk.
I don't know what your problem is but there is no call for being a nasty jerk. You are way out of line. I came here to see if anyone got a job by using these types of people. If you can't add something constructive to the subject, please shut up. Why the hell would I be embarrassed about it? I was thinking more in terms of if some miracle happens and I got a job within 3 months, there may be people on board who might be interested in contacting this guy. In that case, it is only fair they negotiate their own fee rather than be influenced by how much I paid.
Last edited by ladyvictoria; 02-04-2011 at 09:57 AM..
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